The Evolution, Culture & Cognition (Ecco) Lab at Arizona State University is seeking two postdoctoral researchers with an anticipated start date in Spring 2017. The full-time, benefits-eligible positions are renewable on an annual basis (July 1 - June 30) extending to a maximum of 3 years, contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of resources, and the needs of the university. Applicants must be within five years of receipt of their Ph.D. to be considered for initial appointment and for subsequent annual renewal. In collaboration with researchers at ASU and at UC Berkeley the successful applicants will be part of a collaborative research team studying the cultural dynamics of group formation and collective identity. Under the supervision of ASU faculty members Thomas Morgan and Robert Boyd, the postdoctoral research associates will be expected to create computational models to generate hypotheses which they then test through large-scale, online experiments. The postdoctoral research associates will publish the results of this research in scholarly venues. In addition, resources are available for the postdoctoral research associates to use large-scale online experiments to study questions not directly related to collective identity and group formation, possibly in collaboration with external research groups. Additional duties will include organizing and implementing research plans, primary data collection and data analysis, preparation of manuscripts for publication in journals; supervising less senior research staff or interns; attending conferences and seminars, and other duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications include a Ph.D. in a field relevant to this project (e.g., cultural evolution, anthropology, psychology, computational social science) by the time of appointment.

Desired qualifications include knowledge of and experience with mathematical modelling, programming (e.g., Python, HTML, JavaScript, CSS, SQL) and experimental design and a demonstrated record of research and publication.

The Ecco lab is a newly formed part of the Adaptation, Behavior, Culture & Society research group (ABC&S), within the School of Human Evolution and Social Change (SHESC) at ASU. Research carried out within the Ecco lab addresses questions concerning the nature and evolution of the human capacity for culture, cultural evolutionary dynamics and gene-culture coevolution. A diversity of methods are utilized in order to maximize our understanding of these topics, spanning theory - analytic models, agent based simulations; experiment - from small-scale lab-based studies to large-scale online studies; as well as historical and philosophical approaches.

To apply submit: 1) a cover letter outlining qualifications, 2) a current curriculum vitae, and 3) contact information (including email addresses) for three references to AcademicJobOnline.org. General questions about this position should be directed to Dr. Thomas Morgan (thomas.j.h.morgan@asu.edu).

Initial deadline for complete applications is April 10, 2017; if not filled, review of complete applications will occur every two weeks thereafter until the search is closed. A background check is required for employment.

The fiscal year (12-month) salary for this positon is competitive with competitive benefits that may be viewed at https://provost.asu.edu/academic-personnel/postdoc. The associate must be in residence in the greater-Phoenix metropolitan area during the appointment.

Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. ASU’s full non-discrimination statement (ACD 401) is located on the ASU website at: https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.

Application Materials Required:

Submit the following items online at this website to complete your application:

Cover Letter

Curriculum Vitae

Three Reference Letters (to be submitted online by the reference writers at this site )